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Wednesday, November 5, 2014

I can't believe it's already November!(the fact that I'm skipping the cold weather makes it even more confusing).

Though things are still hectic, I still have had the time to find joy in a few beauty items. Better late than never, here are my October favorites:

I've finally gotten my hands on a few Milani Baked Blushes (you can find them in Canada in some grocery stores, I had seen them at Maxi back when...or simply online). I got 2 shades because it was Buy One get One 50% off (the drugstore deals here are insane...Every week you can find a selected brand 40% off or discounts on the 2nd item, it's pretty great).

I got Luminoso which is just this gorgeous peachy shimmery color (quite reminiscent of Nars Orgasm on the cheeks actually, but a bit more orangy than pink) and Delizioso Pink which is a hot shimmery pink shade (reminiscent of Nars Angelika). Though I wouldn't say they are dupes for the Nars blushes (color and quality), they definitely are the most surprising drugstore powder blushes I have tried. The pigment and longevity are quite impressive, and for the price, you just can't complain!

Following the buy one get one 50%, I got suckered in (ok not really) in getting two more Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stains (I am OBSESSED whit this formula) that are super appropriate for this time of year. I got New York Scene (a deep red) and Parisian Passion (a nice merlot shade).

Been keeping things pretty simple this month, so that's about it...I also think I might have found a new drugstore favorite foundation but it's a bit too soon to confirm, perhaps there will be a post in the near future!

What have you been loving this past month? Don't forget you can always share on the Facebook page, there's a little community there for us to be (not so) shamefully girly!

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Long time no speak! I still currently have no appropriate work space, and keeping things comfortable in my bed at the moment, not ideal, but I'll make it work.

We all know about the age old vicious circle that links stress and acne : stress causes acne ; acne causes stress.

With the recent changes in my life, the pressure was real. Luckily, a little hero called Benzagel came to the rescue.

I have talked about their spot treatment Benzagel 5 previously on my blog, and already knew this bad boy was a life saver.

I was lucky enough to have the lovely people at Benzagel send me a little care package** to try out some of their other products and the timing could not have been more perfect.

Their products are surprisingly gentle, but most importantly, effective.

When I first saw the Acne Gel & Washcontaining 5% benzoyl peroxide, I cringed. I've had pretty terrible experiences with those kinds of washes in the past (*aheum* Oxy *aheum*), which left my pillowcases and clothes stained and my face a hot irritated mess. But with things being a little worse than usual with the stress factor, desperation made me try it.Boy am I glad I did! Yes it does still stain my pillowcases but it is actually gentle on the skin, no irritation or dryness whatsoever. I do recommend you use a product that really removes ALL of your makeup beforehand as I don't feel this does a good job at removing makeup.

My only complaint is the packaging. I was not a big fan of that "pull out" teeny tiny spout thing, you gotta work at it a little to get the product out.The formula is this nice foamy almost creamy gel consistency that leaves your skin feeling balanced. Not greasy, not dry, just perfect. There's no stinging or anything at any point. I guess that "foamyness" (though it doesn't foam up on your face) allows the BP the penetrate deeply into your pores and attack the little buggers ruining your life!Because I was so scared of the Benzoyl Peroxide content, I did not combine it with the other products at first. Once I saw there was no sign of irritation, I started using the Spot On in addition. This only has 2.5% BP and looks like your normal "white cream gel" type spot treatment. How can such a mild formula be so powerful? I don't know, but it's fan-freakin-tastic!Again though, that little spout is a nuisance. I guess it's meant to encourage to use only a little amount (you really do need only a tiny bit), but it's a little annoying. Nothing major, but you know me, I like to complain just to complain sometimes ;)

This deadly duo had been the most effective and gentle combination I have ever tried. It kicked those stress zits to the curb within days!I find these products to be my go to for stress zits. These came out of nowhere and were nothing like my usual hormonal breakouts. For those regular breakouts I still use my usual routine with the Benzagel 5 as my spot treatment.Bottom line : Benzagel has got you covered!Have you tried any of their products?Benzagel is Canadian brand you can find in most Canadian drugstores. You can also check them out on their different social media pages:FacebookTwitterPinterestInstagramThat's it for now, talk to you soon!Keep those faces clear in the meantime!-Val** Disclaimer : yes I received these products for free, no I am not being compensated for this review. All opinions are my own and honest.

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Giiiiirrrlll! We need to talk.

Lately, my luck with certain products has just been off. Thought I'd share my experience and maybe help you avoid making the same mistakes. But then again, this is just MY experience with these beauty fails.

First off, the Maybelline Dream Pure BB. I was sooo excited to try this since we don't have this product in Canada (well I've never been able to find it), and it is affordable. Unfortunately, this was a disappointment for several reasons :

A) The shade selection is a bust. There's only two, and the "Light/Medium" is way too dark and "orangy". Since it's a BB cream it's somewhat blendable enough to not look like an extra from Jersey Shore, but still...

B) It is not moisturizing whatsoever! Even with a moisturizer under, this still managed to feel dry on my skin and make any dry patches on my face SUPER obvious. Not cute.

C) It starts breaking down and you turn into an oil slick within a few hours (like 1-2h). Again, not cute.

D) The coverage is just not happening. Don't get me wrong, I can get on board with light to medium coverage, but if this product is targeted towards people with acne prone skin, chances are they'll want a bit more coverage than what this provides.

Bottom line: Canada did you a favor. If you want a great conceal & heal BB cream, check out the Body Shop's Tea Tree Flawless BB cream, you can read my full review on this bad boy right HERE.

Next, First Aid Beauty's Facial Radiance Pads. Now I love this brand, and I usually have good luck with their products. I decided to try these (wise girl took the "sample" size) to alternate with my "Magic Potion". Some mornings, I want to be a bit more gentle with my skin so I thought I could use these in place of a toner. It's not that this is BAD, it's just that it does nothing. There is no radiance, quite the contrary, I become quite red after first using. The redness goes away, so not to worry, but I've been using this for a month now, and it's just not worth the money. I think I'll just go back to my Simple Soothing Facial Toner for gentle days. PASS!

Ok, let's talk about the disaster that was Sally Hansen's Xtreme Wear Matte Effect Polish. OH. MY. GOD. I picked this up because it was at the register while I was checking out, and the color is GORGEOUS! I thought the matte finish would be cool to try too, since I've never jumped on that trend.

Well...The color was great on the nails too, and it dried fast, so it was promising! However, I was not a fan of the matte finish, plus it was streaky (probably due to my poor painting skills, so for that, mea culpa) I figured I would just use my regular top coat to get a finish to my liking and assure the longevity of my polish. WRONG. Holy sh**t! the polish started chipping within HOURS. Really? I know my nails are cursed and nothing stays particularly long on them, but this, this is a first. And it kept getting worse. This is what it looks like after two days :

Not acceptable. But for the record, I've never had problems with this line...Is it the matte? The fact that I topped it? I'm not sure what happened, but it was NOT ok.

Last but not least, Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray. Let's keep this short; you will not achieve sexy beachy waves with this, but a crunchy mess (and not like cute, effortless messy, HOT MESS messy). I've tried it on damp hair and let it dry, princess lea buns, braids over night, basically anything to help out the product...Didn't work out. Much disappoint. Forever straight hair :( Again, luckily it was just a trial size! Clearly will not purchase the full size.

Well that's it honey bunnies! Have you tried any of these products? Did they work out for you? Let us know!

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

It's that time of the month again! No not "that" time... Monthly favorites time!

I feel like the month of September just flew by. Since I've been living with very few beauty items, it's pretty easy to point out what I've been really loving this past month.

I had to pack only ONE palette (that's the limit I gave myself) and so I opted for Urban Decay's Naked palette. Owning all 3 from the line, I had neglected the original throughout time. I must say, it was like falling in love all over again. I picked this one, although I didn't feel it was my favorite at the time, simply because I feel it is more versatile for me than the others. It's definitely going to keep getting more lovin'.

With the versatile/practical theme, I had completely forgotten to pack brow products. Luckily for me, I also brought my Maybelline Color Tattoo in Tough As Taupe. I've never tried the Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade, but I assume this could possibly be a dupe for it. If I over do it, it can look a little too light on me, but I'll mix it with a darker color from the Naked palette (they all have a bit of glitter but I swear it doesn't show up!). Tough As Taupe has always been a favorite product for my eyes, but now I've rediscovered it in a whole new light. DOUBLE TROUBLE!

Since I am slightly obsessed with fall and vampier shades (as you saw from my nail selection), I needed to make sure I had a nice deep lip color. I got my hands on the Rimmel Lasting Finish Matte by Kate Moss in the shade 107, and have been wearing it pretty much every night out this month. It is the ultimate fall color, I am so wonderfully in love with it, and I get compliments every time I wear it! It's just this gorgeous deep berry shade and the formula goes on smoothly, is long lasting and non drying at all! Come to think of it, it pairs quite nicely with Essie's Bahama Mama...Have I just one fall? YES.

Now you might remember I got a nice little Origin's kit in exchange for 500 Beauty Insider points. Let me just say it is all AMAZING. But again I left some parts of it in a box, and haven't used all products as much. I've already talked about the eye cream and how it's a tired eyes' dream (I'm a poet and I know it), you can read this beauty 911 article HERE. But the matching face cream is B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L. The Origin's Ginzing Energy Boosting Moisturizer is the perfect daytime cream for all skin types. It has a gel cream consistency that my combo skin drinks up, leaving me moisturized and not oily at all! It smells just so heavenly, a nice citrus-y scent, that's really pleasant in the wee hours of the day. I feel like it also refreshes the skin, as it's looking healthy and bright. 5/5 would repurchase when this generous sample runs out. If you're going to be in the sun though make sure to also wear sunscreen as this cream does have an SPF unfortunately.

And those are my top picks for this month ladies and gents! What are some of your favorite beauty products as of lately?

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Hello lovelies!

Since I had to keep my packing pretty light, and had to put most of my beauty collection in boxes to be shipped (I barely had anxiety about it, I know you're impressed), I guess I subconsciously packed my favorite, "most reached for" items.

When it came to picking nail polishes, I knew fall was right around the corner and I looove me some vampy shades! I decided to limit my selection to 3, to avoid spilling or losing too many bottles or what have you, were there to be an unfortunate incident during my travels.

To no surprise, they are all from Essie, but that's only because that's mainly what my collection consists of. I'm pretty sure you can find cheaper alternatives to all these shades.

First off, the most classic of all classic fall shades **anticlimactic drumroll please** YUP, you guessed it :

It's just such a beautiful deep deep (oxblood?), I want to say oxblood shade. To the untrained eye, it's so dark you might perceive it as black, but I assure you it's not that "gothy"! Ok, a little goth, but like goth-chic. That's still a thing right? In other news, I also love black polish, so really it's ALL good.

Next we have this misleadingly named shade :

Unless they mean it like hot mama? Like Haba haba bahama mama? Yeah, I guess that makes sense, but for some reason Bahama Mama has a tropical ring to it in my mind. It is just the perfect dark berry shade. Very feminine and not TOO vampy for those who might shy away from Wicked. Now, if only I could find a perfectly matching lipstick, then I could win Fall.Last but not least, on a somewhat more neutral tone :

This is just the perfect fall neutral. I find it to be really classy with it's subtle cool mauvy-taupe tint that really goes with anything. If you shy away from bold and/or dark colors that are all the rage every time the weather cools down, you can still keep things cool, or shall I say Merino Cool, with this polish. Yeaaaah, I'm pretty sure that's my cue to wrap things up!What are your go to fall colors? Let me know in the comments below! And let us know if you know of any dupes for this bad boys ;)Talk to you guys soon!-Val

Monday, September 29, 2014

Hey lovelies!

Already got through my first week in California and so far so good...

The weather is just lovely! (Not trying to make anyone jealous) In all honesty I will miss Fall. I mean; cooler weather, scarves, changing colors on leaves, pumpkin spice lattes to keep you toasty on chilly walks...Now I know there are more upsetting things than drinking iced coffee all year round! Just enjoy this short season while you can friends!

I haven't gotten around to explore much yet. We're still trying to settle in as much as we can while we wait for our furniture and most of our personal items to be shipped (it's a process!)...Never thought I would miss my vacuum, but the dirt and hair in this place are becoming an issue.However, the first thing I wanted to do when we arrived (besides pass by the drive through of In N Out Burger) was to see how far the beach actually was. It's an easy enough route that I can take my dog (Mochi) down there on the daily! Not too shabby for Val...

Mochi is adapting quite well. He is a chill California dog already. I mean, look at this guy!

So far, not much exciting events have occurred ; rushed lunches and dinners and errand running (in other news, I could spend my days at Bed, Bath & Beyond). I did have a bit of me time today and had my first raw vegan experience at M.A.K.E, ain't that something! Guess I'll be starting up Yoga classes soon, or is there a new work out fad I should check out?

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Another month over, and many products used, here are my most reached for products this past month.

Certain things I've spoken about before, some really didn't get the love they deserve on this blog yet. So here it goes, let's break it down :

The Body Shop's Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream - I've already done a full review on this bad boy, which you can check out here but I just seemed to gravitate towards this particular face product this month. It's just so quick and easy and I feel like I'm doing something better for my skin than applying foundation. I haven't needed much coverage this month, so this was the perfect lightweight day to day base.

Annabelle's Biggy Bronzer - Bronzers are hard to find when you're a pasty white girl. During the summer months I don't always like to really contour or anything but just get that nice summer glow most people seem to have! This bronzer has a bit of shimmer but nothing too overwhelming and the blend of shades to look really natural on most skin tones I would say. It's the perfect bronzer to really warm up one's complexion!

Annabelle's Blush On in Rose Fawn - I had never really owned a blush that ressembles this shade, this old dusty rose almost plummy kind of color...Quite frankly, I don't know if I would have went for it, but it came with the bronzer and MAN am I glad! It's so beautiful and matte and just gives this nice flush of color. Combined with the bronzer it was the perfect bronzed goddess duo. Oh and for drugstore, the color pay off and staying power was off the hook!

Urban Decay's De-Slick Makeup Setting Spray - We've had quite a few hot ones this month and this little baby has been a real life saver. When you have oily skin, primer and powder isn't enough in the summer, things always still manage to glide off. Think of this as hair spray for your face. I spray it before and after my makeup and it really helps to keep things in place. It also helps with oil control. Now it doesn't keep me shine free all day but it definitely spreads out how often I need to blot.

Revlon Brow Fantasy in Brunette- Ok so the pencil itself is nothing to write home about, just your standard eyebrow pencil but the gel is perfect for keeping my little caterpillars in place. Since it's tinted it's also great for "on the go" as it'll sorta fill the gaps and give them a bit more shape.

Honestly the only thing that matters about this are the shades and the finishes I mean, look at them!